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Who is RedSpade?

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RedspadepicWith the upcoming event on June 27-28 I thought it would be fun to interview a few people who are special guests so you could get to know them more personally. For our first installment, RedSpade, aka Anna Rigby, will be our subject. Jason Pridmore, our guest speaker and coach for the upcoming event, made the introduction and it only took a few minutes of speaking to Anna before I realized that JP associates himself with people very much like him. Anna is very sweet, centered and humble, which I find so refreshing in this sea of narcissism and social media. Let’s get to know Anna who will be RedSpade for the purposes of this blog. I want to thank Jason and Peter Bacon, Marketing Manager for Dainese, North America for supporting us and our mission to educate riders by providing events where riders can learn from the best coaches out there today. Anna and her husband, Steve will be at the Ridge on both dates, please don’t hesitate to come and say “hi”!

CC:  I first took notice of you when JP mentioned you and asked me to check out your Instagram under RedSpade.  What inspired that name?

RS: I wanted to come up with something unique, memorable and symbolic. The name “spade” comes from the Italian word “spade” or “sword” which often represents logical and rational thought cutting through uncertainty and falsehood. The spade is also usually the most powerful suite in a deck of cards and a sign of luck. I assigned the color red to it to make it one of a kind and unique. At the time I had fiery red hair so the color was symbolically a representation of a part of me. Later on for our logo the spade took on a shape of red and white rumble strips which specifically correlates to our company [RedSpade Racing].

CC:  I love it when company names carries a deep personal meaning, it reminds you why you do what you do and it shows in every decision you make, person you touch and keeps you driven.

CC:  I love the pictures you post how’d you get started in documenting your journey?

RS: I fell in love with the machines and the atmosphere of track life—which is really where I was officially exposed to motorcycles. After shooting a few local WERA races I realized that I was in love with the way guys piloted these machines and I really wanted to ride one myself (at the time I was only a passenger with my husband). Since my feed already consisted of motorcycle photography it was a natural progression that I started documenting my journey from my first MFS class onward.

CC:  You are the ambassador for Dainese/AGV, can you tell us how you got involved?

RS: Funny story actually—I’ve always been a fan of Dainese and their products. They always seemed to be the best quality and had the best designs. But when my husband crashed twice on the street and walked away safe and sound in his Dainese leathers I was sold. In general I posted a LOT about safety and proper motorcycle gear. 4 years ago when I started riding there weren’t as many gear choices for women as there are now. I remember reaching out to Dainese begging them to create something more for women and that many sizes weren’t readily available in the US. It wasn’t until 2 years ago that Dainese reached out to me and asked me to come on board as one of their brand ambassadors. They had told me they were watching me on social media for some time and simply liked how I represented the motorcycle community and the sport. I was floored, to be honest I still can’t believe I get to work with a company I believe in so much.

CC:  I still believe the choices are slim.  However Dainese was the first street gear I bought, loved and continued to add to because of how flattering it is for women.  In fact, my very first race suit was Dainese and it’s been crashed over and over and it’s scuffed up but it’s still in one piece!  It’s not as beautiful as it was, but I use that suit now as a rain day suit or loaner suit for gals who want to two up at track days.  I still think we need more choices with color and designs, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Wearing a small boot size, Dainese is the only boot manufacturer I can wear.   I wear a Dainese 6 (36), they fit amazing and while you can’t get the top of the line race protection, you can get pretty damn close with their boots.  I am sure there will be changes with the increase of women riders and their demand for better looking and fitting gear, ladies will make that known for sure!

CC:  When did you get introduced to riding?  What enticed you to ride?

RS: I guess that goes back to your previous question about me shooting photography. Racing was sparked my interest to ride really. I was super impressed with guys dragging their knee and getting low to the ground—that was like absolute black magic to me. At the time I was absolutely terrified and never thought I would get to experience it myself, but I dreamed of it. It wasn’t until I met a female racer that encouraged me to go take the MFS course and see if it was for me. Until then I hadn’t seen any females ride like that and I honestly didn’t even know it was possible. She single handedly convinced me to take the riding course and jump-started my journey.

CC:  That’s why I want women to see other women ride, not everyone started at a young age, many of us started much later.  We are all different, from our goals to our knowledge and understanding of riding, I want them to understand that persistence, practice and perseverance go a long way in helping them get confident and building their skill set.  We need to help encourage other gals and give them the tools they need to succeed at their goals.    

CC:  Who sparked your interest to ride and why?

RS: My husband Steve definitely was the key person to spark my interest. All the men in his family ride or rode at one point or another. Steve also rode dirt bikes and trails when I met him so there was always a history of two wheels with him. As a matter of fact, our first date was a story in itself—we ended up crashing and my right leg got all rashed up pretty bad. But that was over 16 years ago and who would have thought that 12 years later I would finally build up the courage to learn to ride myself.

CC:  It’s exciting to see an increase in women riders, what words of encouragement would you give them?

RS: This is still very much a male driven sport whether you’re just a casual street rider or aspiring track addict. Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t as fast, as skilled or as talented as others. Riding is a very personal skill that you develop on your own and within your physical and mental abilities. I learned this the hard way 2 years into my riding. I was so blinded by trying to be a better rider that I was beating myself up and struggling, I had lost the joy of riding because I was getting ahead of myself. All my riding friends and family had been riding for years and were quite skilled, I was and still am the slowest—I took this very personally. I had to re-evaluate what I wanted out of riding at that point and find my center again. Everything will come in due time as long as you keep working towards your goals, but don’t let your goals overwhelm and control you.

CC:  Couldn’t have said it better.  We are all competitive by nature, but this is very individual, treat it as such, once you start comparing yourself with others you lose sight of your goal.  We tell everyone to ride within your abilities and comfort zone, but that can be hard to do when you want so badly to be up front with the fast guys.  It’s not about only being fast, it’s about being fast safely and within your own mental and physical abilities.  We are all very different, stop comparing.

CC:  What do you currently ride?  What is your dream bike?

RS: right now I have 2 bikes—both 2008 cbr600rr. one is pretty much stock for street and the other is a race bike I bought from a  track coach—It’s loaded with goodies that makes my street bike jealous 😛

I’m not sure I have a dream bike really. I’m very practical which is why I own Hondas (they take a mean beating and still keep on going!) I would have to saw that for a practical bike I would love to own a new 636 Kawi—I really enjoyed it when I rode at the Start School and the electronics made it so easy to handle compared to my Honda. If I could have a money pit of a bike I’d definitely go for a looker like the Panigale!

CC:  OK, I have to confess I bought my dream bike, I love it and it’s only been on the track a few times (figured my luck would eventually run out there).  It’s the 848 EVO, I bought it the last year it was made knowing it was now or never.  It’s my go to street bike, twins are so much fun to ride on the street and when it looks equally beautiful, what could be better?  Italians know how to make things sexy and that bike is just that!

CC:  Do you ride on the track and on the street, which do enjoy more?

RS: I still ride both street and track, but I most definitely love the track to death. I feel safer and excited when I ride the track, at the same time it’s my meditation and truly the only time I feel alive. As for the street I tend to stick to country roads and mountains. I still struggle with tight curvy roads so I get a bit stressed out—I definitely don’t like riding around cars. I didn’t have this feeling when I started riding, the more track I do the more street unnerves me. There’s just too much that can go wrong and it’s all out of my hands.

CC:  What challenges as women do you feel we face as motorcyclists?

RS: To be honest I’ve always felt that riding a motorcycle was one of those things that either sex could do pretty damn well.  I gotta admit though that I get a mixed bag of responses from men when I pull my helmet off and I can’t always tell if they’re genuinely bewildered, intimidated or being condescending lol. Apparently even though I know so many ladies that ride, we’re still rather rare. I think we are still seen as feeble and weak which is a bit frustrating, although I understand that physically I will never be as strong as my husband or have the stamina. However I get to encounter some commentary on social media that is always making me question if certain people are still living in the 50s lol! I suppose this is true for any sport or profession these days though.

CC:  What do you feel about gear and safety?

RS: I definitely have a strong stance of motorcycle safety in general. I try to keep my opinions to myself these days but since you ask 😉 Nothing about riding a motorcycle is safe. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, but it means that you should value your life, the life of your friends and family, and do everything in your power to ensure your safety. Basically I would like people to be mindful and responsible for themselves. I cringe when I see girls in leggings and sneakers on their bikes. I hear it all the time “I know what I’m doing, I know I can get hurt and I’ll deal with it when it happens.” Wrong. You won’t be the only one dealing with it—your family and friends will be the ones taking care of you. I look at it this way, if I can minimize my time in the hospital when I eventually crash, then why not? Accidents happen and it’s inevitable. Maybe I’m so adamant about this because of all the terrible accidents I’ve seen in the last 4 years of my riding—I ride mainly in the mountains and accidents there are extremely unforgiving. Many if them would have been much worse or fatal if there was no gear involved. And some of them were exceptionally tragic because the people involved weren’t geared up. Gear isn’t a save all, but in the end I just don’t want to have any “what ifs” or regrets.

CC:  I agree completely.  Ignorance is not bliss in this case.  My stance is if you choose to not gear up, you clearly haven’t crashed bad enough to think you are lucky to just walk away with minor bruises and scrapes.  Anybody that has crashed knows and won’t risk it.  You don’t necessarily need to be the one to make the mistake, but you are the one that will live with the repercussions.  It blows my mind people don’t ride with gloves, our instinct is to put our hands down to break a fall, why would you make that choice?

CC:  What’s your favorite motorcycle quote?

RS: Well that would have to be Marco Simoncelli’s “You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all of their life.” This speaks to me on a very personal level bc if it wasn’t for riding a motorcycle I wouldn’t be here in life and having so many wonderful experiences and meeting so many great people. I used to be extremely introverted and shy; riding helped me overcome many of my fears and taught me to believe in myself. Where I would normally say I can’t now I believe I can and am no longer afraid of failing and trying again 🙂

CC:  Great Quote!  Motorcycling is a wonderful community to be a part of, I have met the most interesting people and it has enriched my life greatly as well.  Thank you so much for taking the time and letting us get to know you better.  I look forward to meeting you in person at the June 27- 28 event!

Sena Prism review at the track

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[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wetiXfijJSU[/youtube]Optimum Performance Rider Training had it’s last track day of the year on August 16, 2015 at The Ridge Motorsports Park, it was expected to be full and it did not disappoint.  The pits were full of eager individuals to get their last taste of riding before the season was officially over for OPRT.  Unfortunately that also meant a lot of people hoping to run their fastest lap times of the year and it led to many get offs on the track.  Sunday was not unlike any other day at the track, but the feeling was thick with a level of anxious tension and we all know what to expect when that happens so we try to keep our students safe and everyone having fun as the day progresses.  The classes were full in both the beginner and intermediate classes and we had every instructor out to help make the day run smoothly.  One of our riders crashed out in the first session and he was absolutely adamant on getting his bike from home to finish off his day.  After asking him did he know why he crashed he said he tucked the front through the turn and completely totaled his bike.  When asked the question about his tire pressures…he said he was running Pirellis and they should stick.  HUH!  Well when asked what kind of tires and pressures we concluded that 32 lbs. of pressure in the front and rear of Pirelli track tires was ridiculously high and they are supposed to be 29 cold in the front and 20 cold in the rear.  There could’ve been a completely different outcome but not making a simple inquiry about his tire pressures and having a pressure gauge caused him to total his bike.  Quite literally a question and a $20 gauge would’ve completely changed his day.  While this is only one example of things we see during the day we can’t help but shake our heads at individuals who get passed, get that red mist and next thing you know we see them off the edge of the track hopefully upright, but majority of the time, not.  This set the tone for the day and it got worse as the day went on with the bike toll.

I was asked to ride with Jonathan the next session, when I met him he seemed nice, but he is asian and not to be stereotypical (I’m asian too) I didn’t want to ride with him if he was going to be some arrogant rich asian kid who was willing to take unnecessary chances and not listen.  It turns out I was wrong and was so happy about it, it turns out this kid can ride, but he has a few things that need to be worked out, so I asked if he minded if we did some film?  I used the Sena Prism anchored to the rear cowling of my GSXR and asked Troy to take him around since we were going to be going out again in the next session with another student to record his riding.  Jonathan is great getting on the gas, however he man handles his bike with his upper body and his body positioning changes drastically after a few laps letting me know he doesn’t use his lower body properly and engage his core.  Anyone that says this sport isn’t physical is wrong, I haven’t met a single rider who doesn’t take their helmet off who isn’t sweating like crazy.  He gets so tired he starts yanking his bike instead of allowing his lower body to stay anchored and control the bike with the change in which peg he weights.  He’s great going left, more tentative going right.  His lines are ok, but they can be better, he needs to use the track more and not be following the turn so long at a lean to get a quicker and better drive.  He needs to look further.  I know you have all heard this and what this means is seeing as far down the track as possible, but still seeing and using rapid eye movements to focus in and out to the reference points.  For example, when entering the turn you should see the apex, but be looking for that exit and all the while focusing in and out from apex (without concentrating on it) to the exit ready to get on the gas.  It takes practice and sometimes when you are tired your eyes just get lazy and you find yourself looking only to the next reference point.  Jonathan was a great student, he listened, he asked questions, he understood and when he got on the track he went to work.  It is students like this that make being an instructor fun, being able to touch people and change their lives in some small way and to give them direction to work on things that may be holding them back.  Unlocking their potential and giving them the confidence to get out there and do it better each time.  Thank you Jonathan for letting me use your video and just talk briefly about the footage as a learning tool and letting me discuss your riding.  My Sena Prism has been an invaluable tool in my teaching at the track and I look forward to recording, posting and critiquing many more students in the upcoming year.  I want to thank Robert Knoll for sponsoring me, my company and what we are doing for women riders, it is individuals like this who believe in our causes that help us to succeed.

Vixens Ride!

Rickdiculous

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Rickdiculous-1Not sure what to expect at Rickdiculous, I signed up due to the rave reviews from those who have attended in the past. Reasons were vague, but the resounding praises of their techniques were what intrigued me to join them and see what the buzz was all about. For those in the track community, there has been a great deal of talk about their school and Rickdiculous-2while the price may seem steep, once you attend you will see that you get more than you paid for. Rickdiculous was started with a father-son team who loved the sport, however did not like learning with 30-50 people on the track.  Adam Bronfman, otherwise known as “Papa Rick” and his son, Josh Bronfman, aka “Ricky” decided there was a better way and made it happen Rickdiculous-3with Rickdiculous including elite coaches to help others reach their riding goals.  Their style of teaching is unconventional, not classroom based and truly designed to make you a better rider no matter your level. Quite often you receive a private coach for the day which was in my case true, there was only one coach there that received two students and Rickdiculous-coaches-1their riding styles and levels were compatible so it worked well. My plan was to take 3 days and really immerse myself in this process, but due to a family death I was forced to cut my trip to 2 days. However, on my long drive home and judging from how sore everything is, I think two days was plenty of riding and enough information for me chew on and absorb. This is not an easy school, they will work you hard, break down your riding, discuss things you really need to work on and you ride pretty much nonstop. If you are looking to just attend a school and not get your head around things, don’t waste your money and time, but if you are committed to being better and safer all the while naturally getting faster, this school is for you.

Rickdiculous-coaches-2Since I was there for two days, I spent my first day with my coach, George Grass, speaking about what I wanted to work on…braking. I can go fast, who can’t? That part is easy, it’s the braking to make the corner that scares the living daylights out of me, so that’s what we did…we broke down my braking and discussed how to make that better, safer and more effective. Change is hard, we become lazy, complacent or just accustomed to what has worked in the past and the drills we did to help make those changes as minute as they were, made all the difference later on the track. George applied only a few applications at a time, but each building on the last until I think I didn’t scare the crap out of him anymore (corner 5 at Thunderhill being one of them to start) and we could quickly move on to the next challenge to tackle. By the end of the day we had tackled a great deal of my braking issue and I was getting comfortable with the track. Sweaty, tired and sore I went back for a good nights rest to recover from a long hard day.

Rickdiculous-coaches-3Day two of my training was like boot camp, Ken Hill was my coach for the day (which was an honor to be taught by one of the best) and while he is kind and patient, he expects you to work hard and that’s exactly what we did. We worked even more in depth on my braking, mostly to help with my acceleration and how one works with the other to make it possible to do it at a higher rate of speed, safely. This was shown by taking a car around the track and with him sitting by my side telling me to keep accelerating until he said brake was extremely hard to do, but having faith in him I listened and when we broke, I got to see what the right application of braking could do to getting you the direction you wanted to go. HUH! The remainder of the day was about acceleration and braking and how the two help each other, a completely eye opening experience. All of a sudden, things started clicking and we were clipping at a higher rate and Ken was popping wheelies (he does this when he’s happy). With all my GoPro and Sena footage in tow I have two days of memories forever recorded of my experience at Rickdiculous and I hope that next year or even again later this year I can add to those memories as I continue to increase my skills to help others increase theirs.

Stay tuned video will be posted soon and Vixens Ride!

New focus on street riders

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June was an incredibly busy month for track days and if you add the number of days I was at the track along with auditions, bookings and shoots it was exhausting.  I am not sure I’ve ever relayed what I do on the side besides MotoVixens (and just appointed AXO dealer), I am a mom of two sons, one going to college and one just turned 16 (and driving!)…I am also an actor/model/voiceover talent/whatever they need me for and pays ;).  What ends up being a week where I believe I can gain headway and write a blog, ends up being booked up with auditions to sometimes as far as Portland.  This brings me to my first love motorcycle riding…it is the most rewarding thing I do.  Honestly if it paid well I’d give everything up just to do it, but since it doesn’t, I have to resort to spreading myself around…

The one thing that I’ve noticed as an instructor is that track day companies are now very focused on street riders which excites me tremendously, one for the fact that they are reaching out to people who need to gain more knowledge and skills for surviving the craziness out there and two because seeing the person start the day nervous to ending it with a great big shit eatin grin makes me feel honored to be a part of that journey.  The truth is there is a lot to be gained by riding on the track; knowledge, confidence, no cops, emergency vehicle (in case), adrenaline rush in a safe place and hopefully keeping that off the streets where there can be dire consequences and above all what you accomplished while there for the day.  I try to attend every session of every school Mark puts on and while I know the curriculum, each class is unique in that with each group there are things that get stressed more due to the questions raised.  Plus the truth is, I’ve sat through a couple recently where I got a refresher on things that I’ve forgotten to pay attention to, so I still continue to learn. It is an ongoing thing and honestly your brain can’t wrap it’s head around ever concept discussed in one shot, it requires repetition, practice and nailing one concept down is an accomplishment.  I encourage students to go away with the knowledge they’ve obtained work on one or two things then hit a few track days and take another school course and build upon what they have as the foundation.

The focus is clear – teaching riders to make better decisions, knowing their machines capabilities in a way they never thought possible, trust themselves and the machine together, understand how to make it work for you and giving them the knowledge and confidence to survive even the most hairball situations out on the road.  Panic is not our friend, it causes people to make kneejerk reactions which upset the bike and in turn the bike ejects you for pissing it off…we hope that in the knowledge you gain, you KNOW you can handle it and will stay relaxed when such an event happens and it does everytime you ride.  So let’s save our fellow riders and tell them how beneficial track riding is and let’s all be around for a very long time!

Vixens Ride!

Why I Advocate Track Training

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I recently bumped into some individuals who became members on my site and asked why I was purely a track related website…I had to correct them that this site was created to inform and be a resource to all types of riders. I only use the track as a training tool and heavily advocate track training purely because outside of MSF courses and even specialized on street courses, there is no where to really up your confidence at real life speeds. MSF courses are fantastic and teach you safety and maneuvering, but at very low speeds and as all riders know it is not realistic when applying it to everyday situations. It is like getting your graduation certificate and then getting that smack on the ass to say, “Good luck!” Scary as hell when confronted with a situation at speed and have to recall the training you received at say 20 mph. Having the confidence to know you can avoid these situations, corner with confidence and educating yourself (as you would in any endeavor) can only be a benefit to you. That is why I post so many track days and track school events, education and hands on learning are the only ways to improve your riding abilities and to gain the confidence you need to apply to your everyday street riding.

I have teamed up with 2 Fast Track school, Ducati Bellevue, OPRT (where I will be one of their new rider instructors) and WMST to continue my quest to educate and empower women riders. I hope that you take the opportunity MotoVixens tries so hard to provide when we bring these special events to you at discounted prices. Every time you sign up, you show the schools and dealerships you are serious about learning and they will continue to give us the opportunity to provide these events for you. Track days and events are not just for racers, many individuals sign up to hone their skills and new riders sign up to gain the confidence they need to street ride competently. I commend those individuals because they take their riding seriously and quite honestly most who try track days get hooked, they get to go way above speed limits and not worry about getting ticketed as well as not worrying about some car coming at you unexpectedly. If you never have tried a track day, join us (look in the event section) and if you have, I won’t have to twist you arm you already know it is a blast. In August I will be receiving my certification for On Street training and will be able to help you ladies in the future through WMST and possibly through private instruction. I will notify you of the details and hopefully see you out there with me soon. Vixens Ride!

Ear Protection

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Yeah, yeah, yeah those bright pink (or even yellow) things that you need to squish up and mold to shove into your ears. We’ve seen people taking them out when they get off their bikes and take off their helmets. So uncool, right? Well, maybe not, those long rides we take can tend to wear on us mentally when the sounds of the wind and bike resonate in our heads well after we’ve stopped riding. I admit, I don’t always wear them, in fact on short jaunts, I don’t. However, since riding the track and seeing every rider out there wearing them, it made me rethink my logic in it all. Racers wear them so they can only hear their engines and not all the extra noise out there, in a sense creating their own little world where they can just concentrate on their task at hand. Long distance riders wear them because it keeps them from that buzzing that occurs well after the ride and to keep from feeling fatigued. Let’s face it noise, constant noise wears you down and causes you to feel tired and grumpy.

The noise of the wind buzzing through your helmet is lending to long-term hearing damage and by the time you notice, it is too late. Foam earplugs are cheap and readily available, every drugstore, home improvement store and most convenience stores keep them in stock. If you choose the more expensive option, you can have them custom fitted and made specifically for you. It does come with a price tag though, but depending on the type of riding you do this may be worth it. That is of course for you to decide, start with the foam ones and should you want to get custom ones, there are plenty of companies that offer that service. Come one ladies, it isn’t at all sexy to get off your bike and start shouting because you can’t hear, don’t you agree? Ride on Vixens and enjoy this incredible weather, I hope to bump into a few of you out there soon!

Street Riding vs. Track Riding

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I’ve been told it is irresponsible to be a motorcycle rider on more than one occasion and my reply is the same every time, “What an ignorant statement!” Most of the time, their comment is based on the fact they don’t ride, are intimidated with riding (even though they secretly wish they could) and/or know someone who has been injured from a motorcycle accident. This usually leads into a debate in which I have a rebuttal for each of their reasons why I shouldn’t, but typically what I find out is fear is the driving force for their comment. Riding a motorcycle to me is like art in motion, but it is also a practice in restraint, when you turn over that engine it is almost daring you to test it’s limits. Egos come into play and I’ve watched many men turn it into a dangerous competition on the streets just to one up each other and it almost never ends well. Sadly, it is always the “big talkers” that cause these problems, the ones that talk about themselves as if they were AMA champion racers themselves. I prefer to ride as far away from these guys as possible because typically they are just that, all talk. Whether you are on the track or on the street you will encounter at least one of these in every group, don’t become buddies with them, don’t try to educate them, stay as far away as you can from them, they are trouble and can end up not just hurting themselves during the course of the day, but you as well. You can’t save everyone, I concentrate on helping people who really want to learn, not just show off.

Starting out as a street rider was scary, trying to navigate the streets while learning how to competently ride a motorcycle was a joke. Here I was trying to shift, brake, start from a stop (without looking like a tool and stalling), remembering to turn off my blinker after a turn, etc. all while dodging cars and white knuckling it through traffic. Thank goodness those days are long gone and my seat time has afforded me more attention to really enjoy my rides. That all did come at a price through and one that I would highly recommend for other street riders who want to use their attention on really enjoying the day, either by themselves jamming to their tunes in their helmets or in a group on an all day ride sharing the scenery and stories of corners mastered with big ole smiles on your faces. The only way you can really enjoy riding is like everything else, putting in the time (sorry no easy way out of this). But I’ll take it one step further, I believe that in educating yourself, through books (not all of them are worth reading) and taking classes (again not all of them are worth while) you can gain the knowledge required to really be able to ride confidently. Street riding is fun, sure it can be dangerous, but I think that is part of the reason we may be attracted to the sport, it keeps us alert and present. We must be aware of our surroundings every second, watching for distracted drivers, hazards on the road, weather, etc. it forces us to detach from the day (good and bad) and focus. I consider it therapeutic, it is my chance to forget about everything and just be, it is very zen-like in that way.

Riding on the track is very different and depending on whether you decide to start on a track day or actually sign up for a track school, you will learn more than you ever imagined. It wasn’t until I took classes at a track school that I honestly learned that I wasn’t even riding to a fraction of what I am capable of because of fear and not having the knowledge necessary to make well informed decisions. Gaining knowledge lead to gaining the confidence I needed to improve and advance to the next step, it was exhilarating! The thing about riding on the track is that during the day you learn the track, the turns (the same ones every lap), where you should be focused for decreasing speed, turn points, rolling back on, body position, etc. You can try to perfect those turn points each lap, it is exactly the same turns every time, you can increase your speed as you realize you can do it without anything happening, heck we are all going the same direction and there is not one car in sight to distract us from the task at hand: Riding. Track riding is all about having a place to test your bike and your limits in a safe and controlled environment. It is also about restraint and not riding over your ability, pushing your limits is one thing, riding over your head is another. I recently read in “Motorcycle Trackday Handbook” by Kent Larson, Pat Hahn, Jason Bishop and Max McAllister about a t-shirt one of the authors had printed which read “Know Fear” on the front and “No amount of BRAVERY can substitute for SKILL and KNOWLEDGE” on the back, think about that when thinking about riding. Track days help us to have a place to ride and push those limits without the risks of doing so on the street, it also helps us to really learn how to corner well at speed, learn the limits of your bike, learn how far out of your comfort zone you are willing to go, take principles learned in class and implement them on the track and to help us tame that naughty speed demon beast. I admit to being guilty of that from time to time.

Don’t forget that the Ducati “Women’s Track Event” is coming up on June 10th and it would be a perfect opportunity for you to sign up (www.ducatibellevue.com) and see what track days are all about. Hope to see you guys out there, 2Fast is a great track school and I know you will walk away amped up and ready to go to another one as soon as possible. Be safe out there Vixens and just ride!